Ratchet-wrench.



- PATENTED DEC. 17, 1907. J. J. ALBRECHT.

RATGHBT WRENCH. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2a, 1906,

JAGOB J. ALBRECHT, or SYRACUSE, NEW YoRK.

RATCHET-WRENGH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1907.

Application filed March23.1906. Serial No. 807,630.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAcoB J. ALBRECHT, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ratchetrenches, of whichthe following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improve ments in ratchet wrenches comprising a hollow one piece handle having a bifurcated ratchet receiving head at one end and a tooth receiving socket in its opposite end.

embodying My object is to produce a comparatively inexpensive ratchet wrench by making it with as few parts aspossible and at the same time to increase the scope of utility of this class of devices.

This object is best carried out by making a hollow one-piece casing forming the handle and bifurcated ratchet receiving head, the opposite arms of which are bendable to and from each other to enable the ratchet wheel to be inserted between them, after which the sides are compressed upon the opposite hubs of the ratchet to retain the latter-m place.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description. I In the drawings,-Figures 1 and 2- are len: gitudinal sectional views of a ratchet wrench the features of my invention, ortions of the head of the wrench in Fig. 1 eing shown in top plan. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the hollow one-piece casing forming the handle and bifurcated ratchet-receiving head, the opposite arms of which are shown as bent or spread apart to permit the insertion of the ratchet wheel. Fig. 4 is an end view of the hollow one-piece casing, showing articularly the angular socket and means or frictionally retaining the tool in the,

socket." Fig. 5 1s a cross sectional view on the line 5'5 of Fig. 3. V

In carrying out the objects stated I provide a hollow of tubular one-piece metal cas-= ing forming a handle 1 terminating at one end in a bifurcated ratchet receiving head having opposed bendable arms -2 and terminating at its opposite end in an anular tool-receiving head 3 having a -engthwise socket +4 forming an enlarged continuation of the lengthwise central opening, as 5, which extends entirely through the handle and communicates with the space between the arms ,2-- to enable the sliding pawl, as 6 and its actuating spring 7-, to be inserted therethrou h. The

arms -2 are provided with circu ar openings 8 for receiving the opposite hubs,

is inter osed between the arms 2- and rotatab e in the circular openings or bear- The arms 2 are first'spread apart as seen in Fig. 3 a sufficient distance to permit the insertion of the ratchet wheel -10- between them with its hubs -9 in registration with the openings -55, after which these arms 2- are compressed or drawn together as seenin Fig. 2,into parallelism, or until the hubs 9- are properly seated in their respective hearings or openings 8-, leaving 'sufficient clearance between the contiguous faces of the arms and the ratchet wheel to permit the latter to rotate freely in its bearings.

The pawl or slidin bolt -6- is movable endwise in. the lengthwise opening 5 of the handle -1-;,of the ratchet wheel '10-. The spring -7- is interposed between the opposite end of the pawl or sliding bolt -6 and a suitable abutment, which inthis instance consists of a'screw 11 extendi trans'versely through the handle 1-1 an socket -5- and maybe permit the sprin 7 and pawl +t3. to be readily removecl'or reinserted through the len thwise opening 5 and socket 4 l hen the bolt 6 and its spring 7- have been inserted in operative position with reference to the ratchet wheel the spring --7 is compressed by any convenient tool,

after which the screw -1l is inserted in thehandle to hold the spring and sliding bolt in. operative relation to the ratchet wheel.

The socket is angular in cross section and adapted to receive various tools having a shank of the same angular cross section and is provided in one side with an aperture -12 in which is seated a ball -13-; the

inner end of said aperture 12 being constricted and of slightl less diameter than removed at will to the diameter of the bal to allow the latter to project a slight-distance into the socket, said all being retained in the socket by a spring,

as .-14., which is. secured to the-outer face of the head 3 by suitable fas'tenin means, as a screw 15-. The objecto this ball 13 and spring,--.14- is to form a frictional'holding device for the tools which may be inserted into the socket 4-- to pref vent accidental displacement of the tools whilethe device is 1n use. .In like manner the ratchet wheel 10 -16' to irictionally engage. and hold the tool-holder as a/, in operative connection with the ratchet wheel. The plug or bush-.

ing -19 is screwed into theouter endof the opening 17 and between this. bushing andthe adjacent face of the ball is inserted a spring 20 for holding the ball against its seat with its inner face protruding into the opening 16 for the purpose previously mentioned. Y

The tool-holder a,'is shown in Fig. 4 as provided with a swinging member a. having a tool receiving socket -21 of substantially the same size and form as the socket -16 for receiving a tool, as 22 This swinging member a is mounted in a bifurcated end of the part which is inserted in the socket 16 and is provided with a friction bearing 23 similar to the bearing 18 for retaining the tool 22 in the socket 21. stantially the same cross-sectional form and size as the socket 4 in the head 3- so that thetools may be interchanged and used is provided with a 7 central opening 16- extending axially The socket -16' is. of sub- I either in the head 10.

The invention briefly described consists in providing a hollow one-piece casing forming the handle -1' bifurcated ratchet-receiving head or bendable arms -2 and toolreceiving head 3 in combination with the ratchet wheel upon which the arms 2. are compressed and friction devices, one in the ratchet wheel and one in the opposite end of the handle for retaining the tools which it may be desired to use in their respective sockets.

The invention further consists in the in sertion of the pawl and its operating spring through one end of the handle in which they are retained by a removable transverse abutment, such as a screw.

hat I claim is,

In a ratchet wrench, a hollow malleable handle terminating at one end in diverging arms each provided with an aperture, a ratchet wheel having hubs journaled in said apertures of the arms and having a transverse opening, the inner end of which is of less diameter than the outer end and communicates with the axial opening of said ratchet wheel, a ball seated in said aperture and normally projecting partially into the axial opening of the ratchet wheel, a spring in the aperture bearing against said ball, and a plug threaded into the outer end of the aperture, as and for the purpose described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 19th day of 'l\iarch 1906.

JACOB J. ALBRECHT.

Witnesses:

H. E. CHASE, J. M. HAMMEKEN.

3- or ratchet wheel 

